Andre de Shields to star in Goodman 'Jungle Book'

The Goodman Theatre said Wednesday that Andre de Shields, a growing presence on the Chicago theater scene, would be part of the ensemble cast of Mary Zimmerman's "The Jungle Book" this spring. He'll play King Louie. The show, which uses the beloved Sherman Brothers score, is being produced in cooperation with Disney Theatricals.

Others in the cast, mostly a mix of Chicago and New York-based actors, include 10-year-old Akash Chopra as Mowgli, Usman Ally as Bagheera, Anjali Bhimani as Raksha, Kevin Carolan as Baloo the bear, Glory Curda as the Little Girl; Thomas Derrah as Kaa, Nehal Joshi as Rama; and Larry Yando as the villainous Shere Khan.

After Chicago, the production travels to the Huntington Theatre in Boston. Performances begin June 21 at the Goodman.